Licensing Sales Manager - Lego (fixed-term contract)

Disney; City of Westminster; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading entertainment company is seeking a Licensing Sales Manager focused on the Hardlines category and partnership with Lego. This role involves collaborating with global teams, developing strategic alliances, and leading contract negotiations. Candidates should have experience in consumer products, strong relationship-building skills, and financial acumen. The position is based in London with a fixed-term contract until December 2026 and offers a hybrid work model.

Benefits

25 days annual leave

Private medical insurance & dental care

Free Park Entry

Disney Discounts

Excellent parental and guardian leave

Qualifications

• Proven experience within a consumer products business.
• Able to analyze data and implement recommendations.
• Excellent planning and organization skills.

Responsibilities

• Take responsibility for the annual operating plan and quarterly forecasts.
• Lead contract negotiations and strategic planning with partners.
• Develop innovative business solutions for the Hardlines category.

Skills

Relationship building

Financial acumen

Data analysis

Influencing skills

Commercial insight

Cultural sensitivity

Education

Degree level education in a related field

Tools

MS Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Keynote

Job description

Responsibilities

• Take responsibility for the annual operating plan and quarterly forecasts for the Hardlines category, partnering with Lego, setting clear objectives for valued licensees and collaborating with market leads, category specialists, franchise, marketing, product development, and finance teams to drive meaningful growth.
• Develop and nurture positive relationships with partners across EMEA and global markets, including the US, Middle East, and Eastern Europe, both established and emerging, leading engagement, strategic planning, and joint business initiatives to advance Disney's Hardlines category in partnership with Lego.
• Lead contract negotiations for designated Hardlines accounts, partnering with Lego, ensuring all key decision-makers, from global to local teams, are well informed at every step.
• Work closely with creative teams and, where appropriate, the Global Interactive Experiences team to guide product development for the Hardlines category in collaboration with Lego.
• Support marketing campaigns that enable partners and retailers to bring Disney magic to fans through memorable Lego products and collectibles within the Hardlines category.
• Champion the International Labour Standards (ILS) process, acting as the vital link between Hardlines suppliers, partnering with Lego, and Disney's ILS team to uphold the company's integrity and values.
• Generate innovative ideas by proposing new business solutions and leading research projects focused on uncovering scalable, high-impact opportunities in the Hardlines category in partnership with Lego.
• Participate actively in market meetings, sharing expertise in the Hardlines category, partnering with Lego, fostering collaboration, and ensuring Disney's strategies are effective throughout the region.
• Forge strong partnerships with Disney's market teams, sharing critical updates, strategies, and franchise news, especially for the Hardlines category in collaboration with Lego, while staying attentive to local needs and celebrating market diversity. Use these connections to exchange best practices and drive collective success.
• Enhance partnerships with international Disney Consumer Products (DCP) teams by sharing knowledge and best practices to ensure Hardlines licensing initiatives, in partnership with Lego, are best-in‑class.

Qualifications and Experience

• Degree level education in a related field or equivalent work experience.
• Experience within consumer products business.
• Proven experience of building effective relationships, leading and managing change and collaboration across departments to achieve financial targets and joint goals.
• Proven experience of developing the performance of a team.
• Financial acumen – the ability to translate numbers into a working plan.
• Ability to analyse data, construct practical conclusions and implement recommendations to achieve business targets.
• An ability to be agile to capitalise on the moment and identify new opportunities and target partners.
• Resilient and nimble in an ever‑changing landscape.
• Computer literate including MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Keynote.
• Written and spoken English for business use, essential; other European languages, beneficial.
• A good eye for digital, social and brick and mortar marketing.
• Excellent commercial and strategic approaches to problem solving and innovation.
• Exceptional planning and organisation skills.
• Strong influencing skills with the ability to achieve buy‑in at all levels.
• Forward thinking with the ability to take industry trends and translate them into something that drives growth for TWDC.
• Cultural sensitivity and an understanding of local markets across EMEA.

Overview

Step into the world of Disney and take a pivotal role in shaping the future of the Hardlines category, focusing specifically on our partnership with Lego within the Star Wars franchise. As the Licensing Sales Manager for EMEA, you will operate in a truly global capacity, collaborating not only with teams and stakeholders across the United States but also engaging with local and high‑potential growth markets worldwide. Your mission is to identify and unlock strategic opportunities, build and solidify influential partnerships, and secure top‑tier licensees that will further elevate both the Star Wars and Lego brands, captivating fans across the globe.

Relationship‑building and cross‑functional collaboration lie at the core of this role. You will actively foster and maintain strategic alliances with both new and established partners, leading joint business planning and conducting regional and global contract negotiations to drive licensing sales growth for Lego Star Wars throughout EMEA and beyond. Utilise your creativity and commercial insight to guide innovative product development, leveraging digital, social, and in‑store marketing expertise, as well as a keen understanding of consumer trends and market insights, to deliver stand‑out strategies in a fast‑evolving market landscape. If you are ready to bring forward‑thinking ideas, a collaborative approach, and a passion for iconic brands and legendary stories, this is your chance to make a significant impact at Disney, where the magic of Star Wars, Lego, and business success meet on a global stage.

This is a fixed‑term contract until the end of December 2026, located at our London office in Hammersmith, requiring four days of on‑site attendance per week.

Benefits

• 25 days annual leave
• Private medical insurance & dental care
• Free Park Entry: the opportunity to enter any of our parks with your family and friends for free
• Disney Discounts: entitled to discounts on designated Disney products, resort F&B and ticketing
• Excellent parental and guardian leave
• Employee Resource Groups – WOMEN @ Disney, Disney DIVERSITY, Disney PRIDE, our new disability & neurodiversity focused group – ENABLED, and our Mental Health & Wellbeing Group, TRUST.

The Walt Disney Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to be a diverse workforce that is representative of our audiences, and where all can thrive and belong. Disney is committed to forming a team that includes and respects a variety of voices, identities, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.